The present invention relates generally to an electrical connector and, more particularly, to a connector in which contacts carrying electrical circuit components are individually removable from the connector insert.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,569,915 to Sorensen et al. discloses a filter connector in which filter contacts are mounted in openings in a metallic ground foil which makes electrical connection between the filters on the contacts and the shell of the connector. The filter element on the contact is of cylindrical form, and surrounds the contact body. Typically, the filter contact cannot be removed from the connector without disassembling the connector insert or insulator assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,790,858 to Brancaleone et al. discloses an electrical connector in which electrical circuit components, such as magnetic pulse absorbers or radio frequency filter elements, are integrated into an electrical connector by mounting the same within a grounding plate in the shell of the connector spaced from the contacts which extend through openings in the plate. Conductors of the circuit components are connected to selected electrical contacts in the connector by means of a printed circuit board which is removably mounted in the shell of the connector. This arrangement requires disassembly of the entire connector in order to remove or replace the circuit components.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,462,715 to Schor and U.S. Pat. No. 4,126,370 to Nijman disclose filter connectors in which the contacts are slidably mounted within circular filter elements so that the contacts may be removed from the connector without disassembling the connector. However, disassembly of the connector is still required to remove the filter elements.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,200,355 to Dahlen and U.S. Pat. No. 3,854,107 to Tuchto et al. disclose filter connectors in which filter contacts are individually removable from the connector insert so that disassembly of the connector is not required to replace either the contacts or the filters. In each patent, the filter element is of cylindrical form, surrounding the contact body, and electrical connection between the filter element and the ground plane in the connector is provided by spring fingers integrally formed on or mounted within the ground plane.
It is the object of the present invention to provide an electrical connector containing electrical contacts carrying electrical circuit components, wherein not only are the contacts individually removable from the connector insert, but the connector has fewer parts, is smaller in size and is less complex and easier to assemble than the prior art filter connectors.